If a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, would hate language, even if designed to be tough love, be just as hurtful? As far as a federal jury in New York is concerned, the N-word -- even when uttered by a black person and aimed at another black person -- is just as demeaning. The eight-person federal jury on Tuesday awarded $30,000 in punitive damages, in addition to $250,000 in compensatory damages awarded last week, to Brandi Johnson, 38, a worker at STRIVE, an East Harlem employment agency.

EDMONTON, Canada -- The first casualty of the Kings' slow start turned out to be left wing Dustin Penner, a healthy scratch for Thursday night's game here against the Oilers. Kyle Clifford will be taking Penner's spot on the second line with Jeff Carter and center Mike Richards, at least at the start. Penner thought this move might be serving as a wakeup call for the Stanley Cup champion Kings, off to an 0-2 start. “It's one of those things that the guillotine has to fall somewhere when the team under-produces and more times than not, it's fallen on me,” said Penner, who especially struggled in the 3-1 loss at Colorado on Tuesday.

Although I didn't hail from the affluent Westside as did Michelle Markel ("It's a Tough Love, but a Westsider Learns It for Her Valley," Aug. 27), I can somewhat equate my life with hers. It was nearly one year ago that I departed "L.A. proper" (to some, improper) for the sedate suburb of Sylmar because of expediency, not desire. The building that had been my home for more than 7 1/2 years was sold, and it's quite difficult to find a rental that accepts pets. How my life was changed for the better!

As Alice Callaghan intimated in her Nov. 27 commentary, "Wheels of Commerce Are Rolling Over the Homeless," it is like a war zone at the front door of our soup kitchen, with the police detaining anyone who simply looks like he or she might be homeless. The Central City Assn. claims that the current conflict is between tough love practiced by high-minded people like themselves who want to empower the police to arrest the "criminally homeless," and softheaded, compassionate people like us who mindlessly defend the "rights" of the poor to sleep on the streets.

Re "For Love of the Game, if Not for Pete's Sake," Opinion, Aug. 31: With due respect to Robert David Jaffee, he is misguided in his effort to save major league baseball via putting Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. Baseball does not need to condone betting on the game in order to better itself. If we are to celebrate scrappy players, let's celebrate a team like the 2002 Angels, which personified hustle and grit. Baseball must look ahead to remedies in equitable revenue-sharing and distribution of talent, not backward to tainted icons.

She's taken away the cellphone, she's banned the television, but when her daughter was suspended for bullying a classmate last week, Ivory Spann felt a new punishment was in order: public humiliation. After checking to see if it was legal, Spann forced her 12-year-old daughter, Miasha Williams, to spend the last four days in front of several Temecula schools carrying a big sign saying, "I Engaged in Bullying Behavior. I Got Suspended From School ... Don't Be Like Me. Stop Bullying."

Re "State Panel Assails Judge for Remarks," May 6: Orange County Superior Court Judge Susanne S. Shaw is an excellent judge who should be commended, not condemned, for her actions in the courtroom. What this country needs is more straight-talking, tell-it-like-it-is, no-nonsense judges like her. If more judges would emulate Shaw's integrity, concern and diligence, there would be more respect for authority in this country. It's time somebody turned this country around. If more judges would speak plain English to defendants instead of spewing all the wishy-washy, politically correct nonsense, which no one can understand, maybe these folks would get the message.

How thought-provoking of The Times to run "Rescuing a Boy From the Streets" on the same front page as "Iraq War Cost Could Soar, Pentagon Says" (Feb. 26). Los Angeles Police Officer Derwin Henderson's tough love has certainly turned Terrance Flournoy's life around, but equally impressive and inspiring is Henderson's sacrifice as the young man moved from "one pair of pants, a shirt, two pairs of socks, the shoes on his feet and a set of underwear" to private school, health care and a room of his own. Meanwhile, the cost of invading Iraq is estimated at $100 billion plus $25 billion to $105 billion for five additional years because Iraq is a nation with "ethnic tensions that could lead to other problems" ("A Huge Postwar Force Seen," Feb. 26)

Five years ago, Burbank teen-ager Joe Metz was more interested in breaking the law than enforcing it. "I've tried almost every drug you can think of," he said. Today, Metz has been clean for more than three years, and he is thinking about a career in law enforcement. "I'm kind of interested in SWAT," the 17-year-old said. "I want to get a career going before I start a family." Family used to be something to escape. At age 12, Metz became addicted to drugs. "I started dealing drugs, got into gangs, stopped going to school in the seventh grade and didn't go for about three years.

Is it the end or a new beginning? It's all over ? oh, right, it never began ? in Minnesota, where reviled General Manager David Kahn gave away Al Jefferson , whereupon Coach Kurt Rambis began yo-yoing Kevin Love .... Or it's just starting, one or the other. Love played long enough to average 21 points and 17 rebounds over six games, including his 31-31 against the Knicks, before Friday's 0-7 against the Lakers. Meanwhile Michael Beasley , stolen from Miami for two No. 2 picks, averaged 31 points.